The Washington critic., 1887-04-25
TOPICS OF THE DAY.

notable people for the daily newspapers
the New York MdI and Express re.
marks that Miss Rose Elizabeth Cleve-
lands likeness was not published until
months after she had become public
character. although the country was
secured far and near for her picture.
Mr.. S. ii. HargaD, art manager of the
American Press Association, gives the
following remarkable story of how 1t
was finally procured: ITO begin
WITH" he said, Il communicated with
people residing In Holland Patent, her
former home. but without success.
MIR. Cleveland had been elected at the
time, and as IT was generally supposed
that she would be the mistress of the
White House 1t was of the utmost i'm.
portance that her likeness should be
obtained. | had learned that Mr..
Cleveland and she were opposed to the
idea of having her portrait published,
and could expect no assistance from
them, so | communicated with every
town where 1t was possible she might
have passed even a day TO ascertain If
some stray photograph OF her could be
obtained. by this means discovered
that photographer In Utica had taken
her picture sometime before and that
he had copy of II in his possession.
opened correspondence with him.
He finally consented to let me have
the photograph If Miss Clcve-
lands consent could be obtained.
the favor, which she probably showed
tn fbn Dr.eilnnt Gov ha n ~ a.,
person, requesting the photographer to
show the likeness to no one. This was
about the time her book entitled George
Eliot and Other Studies was In press.
and 1t was generally known that like.
ness of the authoress would form the
frontispiece. / became desperate and
was determined not to be anticipated In
this manner. One day a gentleman
entered my office and cOolly offered me
photograph of Miss Cleveland for
5000. He had been informed that l
was anxious to obtain 1t and stood ready
to accommodate me for this considera.
tion. did not accept his Offer Shortly
afterward made an arrangement with
the Grdphic, and we onjointly engaged
a clever lady artist, Miss E. L. Sylves.
ter, living at the time In Washington,
10 sketch Miss Cleveland at the first op.
portunity. The manner In which she
performed her work would have done
credit to veteran newspaper man.
Miss Cleveland attended Sunday ser.
vices in DIR. Sunderland's church, and
our artist managed for two consecutive
Sundays to obtain q seat in pew ad.
joining hers. 1t was admirable vantage
ground for taking sketch. Miss Cleve.
land was absent the first Sunday, but on
the second she was there, and Miss Syl.
vester made three splendid sketches of
her. How she accomplished this feat
In crowded church without attract
ing observation Is n miracle. an
sure If man had been delegated to the
task 1t would never have been success.
fully accomplished. When thcss
sketches were received we selected the
best and had fine crayon drawing
made from 1t. Being somewhat un /.
certain of likeness taken In this sur
reptilious manner, we determined to
make assurance doubly sure by sub
mitting 1t to the criticism of Miss Laura
G. Iialloway, the editor of Miss Cleve-
lands forthcoming book. | caught
her by surprise. No sooner had her
eyes rested on the picture than she ex.
claimed, with unfeigned astonishmcnt,
"Whcre did you get III" knew by
this that 1t was safe TO publish the por.
trait.
~
Says the Chicago Mall of April 81:
Ex.S, cretary Blaine is to day stopping
at the Grand Pacific Hotel, In the same
parlor, No. 10, that Roscoe Conkling
occupied during the national conven-
tion of 1880. This fact was brought to
light by an accidental rummaging over
of an old newspaper file. The Grant
headquarters were down in the Palmer
House during that important week, but
Conl ling, Arthur and Sharpe had the
three parlors, IL, 10, and 10, that are
tight next to the public reception.
roc ms of the hotel. Seven years have
intervened since Conkling and Arthur
occupied the chambers, and in the
interim all sorts of people have gone In
q d out of them. In all probability
the walls have been rubbed down and
rerain,ed; and, likely as not, the furnl-
rnrc and carpets have been changed.
Yet probably II Sam Parker had re.
membered that Conkling had occupied
parlor 10 in 1880 he wouldn't have as.
signed Blaiae's party to 1t in 1887, If
Mr.. Blaine had been aware of the
singular coincidence, perhaps he
mcnts with different associations.
If the famous eX-secretary will
walk around the corridor he will find
on the same floor, on corner, room II,
where in this same campaign Hale and
ln al 90 al, G..i,
Parlor Al happens to be going through
q renovatiDg process now, and Is In tho
hands of the painters and cilciminers.
There Is no reason, consequently, why
the distinguished party should no, take
u critical look at It. Senator Hale had
telcgTaphic instrument and an op.
orator in the bathroom adjoining. The
wire ran straight, without loop OF
break, into the Blaine homestead away
down in Maine. 1t was over that wire
In room Al, Just around the corner from
where Mr. Blaine Is now putting up
that Hale gave up the fight. 1t was
over the same wire that the Maine
leader directed that his strength be
thrown for Garfield.
~
I dropped into the Supreme Court
the other day, says New York 7ifJua,
correspondent. There were exactly
eleven persons in the room. Eight OF
them were judges, one was the clerk oi
the court and two We're counsel. The
Chief Justice seemed the only one lis
tening to dry argument delivered by
acounsel with nasal twang denotinG
New England descent. Justices Field
and Stanley Matthews were conversing